


More than Just Friends

by ttenshikim



Category: TREASURE (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:08:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28872828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttenshikim/pseuds/ttenshikim
Summary: The journey of Park Jihoon and Choi Hyunsuk through the eyes of Kim Junkyu.
Relationships: Choi Hyunsuk/Park Jihoon
Comments: 12
Kudos: 55





	1. just brother

**J** unkyu had spent most of his trainee years with Jihoon. They are very close to each other even before the survival show started. Junkyu feels a very strong attachment to Jihoon, sharing almost the same way of thinking, sharing the same taste of food, Jihoon and Junkyu are like the mirrored version of each other. 

Being the closest one to Jihoon made Junkyu knows Jihoon’s deepest secret about his crush on the rapper of the group. Junkyu remembered the first day Jihoon entered Team A training room - looking so timid and shy because he’s still unfamiliar with the members. 

Then his eyes sparkled when Hyunsuk came and greeted him so friendly. Talking like they have known each other for years, typical Hyunsuk, he always knows how to make people feel comfortable. That time, Junkyu knows Hyunsuk will be the source of Jihoon’s happiness, but what Junkyu didn’t know is that Hyunsuk also became the reason for Jihoon's broken heart. 

Junkyu remembered all of their late night conversations; talking about their dreams; everyt hing they wanted to do in the future; and not in a single day Jihoon will forget to not include Hyunsuk in that.  _ Hyunsuk hyung is so nice to me, Junkyu, I wouldn’t let anyone hurt him.  _ Jihoon is right, Hyunsuk is the kindest person Junkyu ever met in his life too. But, kindness does not always mean it wouldn’t hurt anyone. 

It hurts because you are just as equal as everyone else in your beloved person’s eyes. 

When the group was reconstructed after Yoonbin left, Jihoon was announced to be the leader along with Hyunsuk. Junkyu watched the excitement in Jihoon’s face when the manager told both of them to spend more time together to discuss the group’s activities. Then, when Junkyu turned to Hyunsuk and noticed the usual caring gaze and kind expression, nodding along with Jihoon, reassured him that they will do good for the group. 

That time, Junkyu hoped Jihoon wouldn’t fall harder than he already is. Because Jihoon is already deep, yet  Hyunsuk is still oblivious to his feelings. 

“Are you okay with it, Jihoon?”

“Okay with what?” 

It was the night after training, they stopped by to play swing on the playground near their dorm. Junkyu looked at Jihoon with concern, when the said boy was still not paying attention to him.

“About you and Hyunsuk hyung being the leaders together.” Junkyu saw Jihoon’s eyes shift, avoiding his gaze and continued to swing in his place.

“I’ll get through it.” He answers shortly. There’s a worry in his voice, “Maybe it’s a chance for me to get closer to him and he will understand my feelings for him.” He added, showing his mischievous smiles to Junkyu. 

“I hope so, Jihoon.” Junkyu answered, trying to send comfort to his friend because both of them know, it wouldn’t be easy. But Junkyu wouldn’t want to destroy the happiness bubble that made his friend happy tonight. 

During their debut era, both Jihoon and Hyunsuk did so great and even exceeded everyone’s expectations. The managers were so happy because they have managed to handle and monitor the group very well. Jihoon played his role as the strict but caring father in the group, while Hyunsuk showered every member with his love. 

Junkyu remembered Jihoon’s delightful face during the Debut Countdown VLive when Hyunsuk acknowledged him as the father of the group, along with Hyunsuk as the mother of the group. Jihoon was so happy that Junkyu had spend the night listening to Jihoon’s continuous babbling about Hyunsuk hyung being so cute, Hyunsuk hyung thinks of me as his partner and all about  _ Hyunsuk hyung, Hyunsuk hyung and Hyunsuk hyung.  _

Junkyu hopes he can stop Jihoon from falling harder, but he can’t. 

It was a night during their MMM promotion that Junkyu heard a knock on his room. It was 2.00 in the morning, Junkyu groaned as he walked to the door. Trying his best to not kick the person behind the door. 

“Junkyu…”

He was welcomed with Jihoon’s sullen face, looking so broken with his swollen eyes that still have stained tears. 

“What happened, Jihoon?” 

Jihoon didn’t answer him but went directly to hug him, tightly. “Hey, what happened?” Junkyu asked again. 

When there was still no answer from Jihoon, Junkyu knew rather than bombarded him with questions, Jihoon needed comfort first. “At least let's come inside, the members will feel weird seeing us hugging like this in front of my room.” 

Junkyu pats Jihoon’s back to signal him to release the hug, he lets Jihoon settle on his bed while he takes the chair to face him.

Junkyu didn’t say anything. He wants Jihoon to be ready before he tells everything to him. 

“I told him…”

Junkyu knows where this conversation is going, still struggling with his sniff and hoarse voice. Jihoon continues, “I was with him in the studio room just now, and he’s looking so cute in his white baggy shirt. I can’t help it.” 

“I blurted it out, I can’t hold my feelings anymore. I told him I like him, then he said, he likes me too. I know he didn’t get what I tried to say so I explained it to him, I told him that I have loved him since training years and he shut down after that. He didn’t even look me in the eyes.” Jihoon was looking so broken when he told Junkyu about that, his tears were falling again. 

“Then he said, he just likes me as a brother and he left the studio room just like that.” 

Junkyu moved to hug Junkyu, rubbing his back. Trying to sooth and ease him, maybe it wouldn’t help much but he just wanted to let Jihoon know that he’s here for him. 

“I’m so sorry Jihoon… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t let you fall this deep.”

As the times passed, Junkyu wondered what kind of magic portion Jihoon ate that he managed to fight the awkwardness with Hyunsuk. Sometimes he catches Hyunsuk’s worried gaze on him but Jihoon acted normal as he always did. 

“Are you sure you’re okay now? You don’t have to push yourself that hard.”

“I’m okay.” Jihoon says, then he sighs, “Of course it hurts, I have been loving him since five years ago and now I need to treat him only as a brother.”

Junkyu didn’t reply to him on that, then Jihoon continues, “But it’s better than I lose him. I would rather be his brother to continue protecting him than I have to be selfish and continue liking him in the way he didn’t want me to.” 

“I’m falling way too deep, Junkyu. But I wouldn’t force it on him.”

When Jihoon said that, Junkyu questioned himself,  _ why does this universe have to make one person love someone so hard when it can’t make them receive the same love? _

Even when Jihoon said he will try to forget his feelings, Junkyu knows Jihoon’s love for Hyunsuk would never die, it’s only beaten down to a secret place; hiding and wounded there. Junkyu hopes it would never die, because Junkyu knows Jihoon's feelings are not _unreciprocated._

\---


	2. or maybe more than that

**S** ince their debut last August, Hyunsuk and the members don’t really have enough rest. Their back to back comeback made him didn’t have time to think about anything other than the schedules and the members. But it never feels like a burden to Hyunsuk, he loves doing this and having Jihoon with him made it even better. 

After Jihoon outpoured his heart content to Junkyu, and ended up curling like a ball with stained tears cheeks on Junkyu’s bed, Junkyu knows he can’t continue sleeping tonight. Leaving Jihoon in the room, Junkyu went to the kitchen to get water and maybe grab some chips. Thinking using feelings really do consume a lot of energy, he thought to himself. 

When Junkyu turned on the lights of the living room before walking to get his things in the kitchen, he found Hyunsuk sitting absentminded there in front of the television - still in the same attire when they met this morning. 

“Hyung?” 

Junkyu called him. Once. “Hyunsuk hyung?” Twice. “Hyunsuk hyung, are you okay?” Thrice, this time Junkyu came closer to give a pat on his shoulder.

The said man startled with the sudden touch, “Hey, what are you doing? Still not sleeping yet?” Hyunsuk asked with the usual kind smile on his face, ignoring the fact that he’s also not sleeping at 4 in the morning. 

“I suddenly feel hungry. What’s about you? Why are you not sleeping yet?” Junkyu asked back, taking a seat beside Hyunsuk. Now that he came closer to Hyunsuk, he can see the tired eyes and undescribed expression behind his commercial smiling face. 

“I- I can’t sleep…” Hyunsuk answered shortly. 

This is the hardest thing about Hyunsuk. No matter how close you’re to him, you still can’t understand his true feeling because he wouldn’t tell. Even when you asked, he wouldn’t tell. Hyunsuk’s feeling didn’t use language, it takes deeper observation and attention. 

“Something disturbs you, I know.” Junkyu said, “You can tell me. I’m not a good adviser like Jaehyuk but I can listen well.”

“It’s-” Hyunsuk paused, contemplating either to continue or he just wanted to keep it to himself. Hyunsuk exhaled his breath, “Junkyu… Let’s make this hypothetically speaking, okay.”

Chuckling to Hyunsuk’s attempt to make the topic unknown, Junkyu nodded his head understandingly. “Okay, hypothetically speaking.” 

“Let say someone you are close with confess to you. They said they have loved you since the very first time you met. What will you do?” 

When he asked that, Junkyu can hear Hyunsuk’s voice shaking, trying to hold all the emotions he kept inside him. 

“That depends on how I feel about them.” Junkyu says, “What do you feel about them, hyung?” Junkyu asked back, he knows this is not just a hypothetically speaking, this is about Jihoon. 

“I don’t know…” Hyunsuk answered softly, “I don’t know Junkyu. But I feel bad seeing them sad because of me…”

“That’s your nature, you didn’t like people sad because of you.” 

Hyunsuk shook his head, “It’s not like when I feel bad when I don't allow Haruto to not drink his favorite Coke for almost a month, or when Doyoung sulked at me when I invited Yoshi to my house instead of him… It’s- I don’t know. He has always been so good to me, Junkyu. I don’t want to lose him.”

“If you’re just afraid of losing him, then I believe you will just need to say you can’t love him the way he wants, but you can say you appreciate them a lot. I’m sure he will understand.” 

“I did say that… But now I feel bad.” 

“Because you made them disappointed?”

“I said I only think of him as a brother, that time I already know I will disappoint him, but I think I can handle that. But then, when I’m walking back here, I started to feel mad at myself. Why did I say that? I feel like I’m lying to myself.”

Thanks, God. Junkyu was so thankful for this, at least Jihoon’s feeling is not totally one-sided. Even if this is not an assurance that Hyunsuk likes Jihoon too, at least Hyunsuk didn’t feel Jihoon only as a brother. 

“You need time to think about it I guess.” Junkyu said, his thought going to Jihoon who is now sleeping peacefully in his room.  _ Hang in there, best friend. _

“Yes I guess so… I shouldn't say that to him, right?”

“Which one? The brother part?”

Hyunsuk nodded innocently, Junkyu thought both of them really were a couple of idiots in love. Too many times spent in the training room, he guessed. 

“I wouldn’t add any more burden on you, but if Haruto suddenly said he likes me, I will freak out and might act the same too. Maybe blurted even more nonsense than you.”

“You like Haruto?” Hyunsuk’s lips parted way for his curious expression. 

“We are hypothetically speaking now?” 

Hyunsuk chuckles, “Yes yes, hypothetically speaking.” 

“I think you need to figure out what exactly you feel about him, I believe Jihoon can wait.”

“But I’m afraid Jihoon will hate- wait, I didn’t say it’s Jihoon.” Hyunsuk pouted, there’s shades of pink on his cheeks, Junkyu can see he’s trying to hide his flustering. 

“You always forget that I know you the longest between all of us. I know it, hyung.” Junkyu answers, “You’re always good with your words, only when it comes to Jihoon, you suddenly lost all of your diplomacy ethics.” Hyunsuk laughed at Junkyu’s remark, he’s right, Hyunsuk can’t win over Jihoon. 

After a moment of comfortable silence between them, Junkyu grabbed Hyunsuk’s hand gently, “Will you be okay with him after this?” 

Junkyu wouldn’t blame Jihoon for his sudden confession but he knows that confession will make the atmosphere between him and Hyunsuk become awkward, he didn’t want the younger members to feel uncomfortable because of that. 

Smiling, Hyunsuk patted his hands, “I’ll make sure this won't affect the group. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. And please remember don’t keep it to yourself, you can talk to me.” 

“Yes, I will. Now, I’ll go to sleep, you too. We still have a few hours before the next schedule. Don’t want to wake up being the second panda in our group.” Hyunsuk said jokingly.

“Hyung?” Junkyu called him when Hyunsuk already turned to walk to his room. 

“Yes?”

“Whatever it is, please don’t hurt him.”

Smiling, Hyunsuk nodded and turned to walk to his room. For the second time that night, Junkyu thought, maybe the universe also fights for two hearts to find each other, the right one will come, all you have to do is to stay. 

  
  


\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--
> 
> this will have continuation but i will mark it as complete because this is how it should end. let me think the very suitable moment on how to make them hit it from there. 
> 
> as for now, jihoon is in the phase to take one step backward bcs hyunsuk didnt see him more than just brother.  
> hyunsuk still finding the answer for his ache heart when he said he just sees jihoon as brother. couple of dummy yeah i know. 
> 
> also, i'm using canon au but i know you guys can differentiate rl and fiction. i have bad experience with canon au in my prev fandom :(
> 
> talk to me in twitter im so lonely there @floweryhana_ XDD


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